1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a process for separation of fluids in emulsion and/or in solution, and/or for low pressure distillation of fractions of same, and to the device for implementing the process. The separation of the fluids will be done by locally reducing the relative pressure on a particular part of the free surface of the liquids, the process making possible the degasification and separation of the liquids contained in a closed processing tank, without affecting the service pressure prevailing inside the processing tank.
2. Discussion of the Background
The separation as stated above, in accordance with the background art, is done by applying a partial vacuum to the processing equipment in its entirety and not just to a part of its interior.
Also according to the background art, in the case of large processing tanks, the costs of construction and installation of the same so as to withstand negative pressures are elevated, and what is more there is always the risk of vacuum-induced collapse and explosion due to fuel getting in.
Moreover according to the background art, the hydrocarbon processing industry is quite familiar with two or three phase separators, which operate on the basis of the Stokes law, these being used for the separation of liquids in emulsion and gases in solution, such separation being relatively slow.